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Tag: Electricity consumers

  • Electricity consumers rise to 12.33m in Q1 2024, says NBS

    Electricity consumers rise to 12.33m in Q1 2024, says NBS

    A report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has shown an upsurge in the number of electricity in the first quarter of the year. The report captured in its Electricity Report for the first quarter (Q1) of 2024 released yesterday, saw a 1.78 per cent increase in consumers which rose by 210,000 from 12.12 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 to 12.33 million in the first quarter of 2024. The review focuses on energy billed, revenue generated, and customers by DISCOS under the reviewed period.

    It stated that on a year-on-year basis, the number of electricity customers increased by 9.47 per cent in Q1 2024 from 11.27 million reported in Q1 2023.

    It said in Q1 2024, the number of metered customers stood at 5.91 million compared with the 5.61 million recorded in Q4 2023, this indicated a 5.38 per cent increase. “On a year-on-year basis, the figure grew by 11.26 per cent from the 5.31 million reported in Q1 2023.’’

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    Similarly, estimated electricity customers stood at 6.43 million in Q1 2024, showing an increase of 10.22 per cent over the 5.83 million recorded in Q4 2023.

    “On a year-on-year basis, estimated customers increased by 7.88 per cent in Q1 2024 from the 5.96 million recorded in Q1 2023,” it stated.

    The NBS also said that electricity distribution companies collected N291.62 billion in revenue in Q1 2024 compared with the N294.95 billion they collected in Q4 2023 .

    It added that on a year-on-year basis, revenue collected rose by 17.91per cent over the N247.33 billion collected in  Q1 2023.

    It stated that electricity supply was 5,769 (Gwh) in the first quarter of 2024 from 6,432 (Gwh) recorded in the fourth quarter of 2023.

    However, the report said on a year-on-year basis, electricity supply decreased by 1.41 per cent in Q1 2024 compared with the 5,851 (Gwh) reported in Q1 2023.

  • NERC to begin mass metering on May 1

    The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), will begin mass metering for electricity consumers by May 1, to bridge the metering gaps in the country.

    Dr Usman Arabi, NERC General Manager Public Affairs in a statement said the metering will be executed under the Meter Asset Providers(MAP) programme of the Federal Government.

    “The commission issued permits to MAPs on April 5, in accordance with section 4(3) of the MAP Regulations 2018, to MAPs that were successful in the procurements.

    “The procurement was conducted by Abuja Electricity Distribution  Company  Plc  AEDC  and  Jos Electricity Distribution Company Plc (JEDC).

    “Section 4(3) of the MAP Regulation 2018 requires all electricity distribution licensees to engage MAPs that would assist, as investors, in closing the metering gap.

    “AEDC has appointed  Mojec International Limited, Meron Consortium and Turbo Engineering Limited to provide 487,000, 213,000 and 200,000 meters, while JEDC has appointed Triple 7 and Mojec International Limited consortium to provide 500,000 meters.’’

    Arabi said customers of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and Jos Electricity Distribution Company(JEDC) should expect meters to be installed in their premises within 10 working days of making payment to MAPs.

    He said the payment and installation of the meters within the time frame was in accordance with section 18 (3) of the MAP Regulations 2018.

    “MAPs shall charge a maximum of N36,991.50 for single phase meters and N67,055.85 for three-phase meters.

    “These costs are inclusive of supply, installation, maintenance and replacement of meters over its technical life,’’Arabi said

    He said NERC  shall monitor closely the rollout plan of distribution licensees and overall compliance with the regulation and various service agreements by the MAP and electricity distribution licensees.(NAN)

  • Electricity consumers task discos on outrageous billings

    Electricity consumers in the ancient city of Kano on Tusday bemoaned inordinate charges by Kano Electricity Distribution Company KEDCO in the state.

    The Customers who spoke during an interactive session with the house of representatives Ad-hoc committee to curb excessive electricity charges being levied  on consumers in Kano, demanded immediate revocation of the distribution companies in the country.
    Besides, the electricity consumers vehemently kicked against the outrageous billing system introduced by the discos in the Northern part of the country.
    One of the consumers who spoke at the session, Yunusa Murtala regretted the replacement of PHCN with DISCO’s accused KEDCO of supplying faulty meters to electricity consumers which brought about unnecessarily accumulated billing. He said the illegal act made it extremely difficult for consumers to comprehend the authentic billing system.
    On his part, Mallam Abubakar Lawan Kwanar Dangora who complain of excessive tariff imposed by KEDCO at the rural communities, especially with those consumers with lower consuming appliances.
    Speaking earlier, chairman of the ad-hoc committee Israel Ajibola said the house was decided to embark on this interactive session across the six geopolitical zones to ascertain allegations against DISCO’s.
    According to him, those allegations includes excessive billing, Disco’s refusal to meter them/preference for crazy estimated billing, non-compliance with the connection/ reconnection regulations, installation of manipulated pre-paid meters among others.
    Israel who frowned at poor representation of Kaduna electricity company at the interactive session insisted that Kaduna will be considered as not represented at the forum.
    Israel said “the choice of Kano for the North West interactive session was based on its flourishing commercial enterprising nature.
    “As we all know that steady power supply is a prerequisite to overcoming poverty, economic growth, development and attaining reasonable standard of living.
    ” One of the major achievements of these interactive sessions across the nation, is to forestalling the looming break down of law and order in the country.
    He said the committee’s recommendation will determine the House position on the bill sponsored by the House leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, to criminalize estimated billing.
    Responding the Chief Operating Officer of the KEDCO Mr Raul Sing explained that they have since metered over 65’000 Households which translate to covering 50/60 percent Customers.
    Raul denied collecting excessive Tarrif from Customers adding that his Company still maintained 2015 National Electricity Regulatory Commission charges directives.
  • Electricity consumers may protest over meters scarcity

    Electricity consumers may protest over meters scarcity

    Electricity consumers in the  Southwest zone are planning to protest  the failure by the power distribution companies (DisCos) to supply them with meters.

    A group, Electricity Consumers Mega Forum (ECMF), said the association is relying on the protest to drive home its demand.

    Its spokesman, Kamorudeen Balogun said the association has notified its members in the Southwest region of the planned action.

    He said the body has also, written the Ministry of Power, Director of State Security (DSS) and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) on the need for the protest, if the metering problems of its members are not resolved. IBEDC is in charge of power distribution in four states of Ogun, Oyo, Osun and Ondo states.

    He said economic growth globally is driven by the power sector and that Nigeria cannot be an exception. According to him, irregular power supply in the country is affecting economic activities, noting that the issue has resulted in the collapse of many businesses.

    He said the six geopolitical zones, including the Southwest, are experiencing poor power supply and other problems. “That is why we are calling on Ibadan DisCo to do the needful by providing meters to the residents of the four states it’s supervising. There is shortage of meters and inadequate power supply in the states resulting in loss of manpower and profit. For instance, Ogun State is badly affected by the development,” Balogun added.

    According to him, residents of Ado-Odo in Ota Local Government of the state have suffered in the hands of IBEDC. This is evident by non-availability of meters and the subsequent payment of estimated bills by consumers.

    “Many residents of Ogun State have suffered a lot in the hands of IBEDC as a result of poor supply of meters. Ado-Odo, Ota Local Government, reputed to be the largest local government in the state, has suffered greatly. Apart from epileptic power supply, many communities in the local government do not have prepaid meters. This made the residents to pay huge bills coupled with the fact that they are being extorted by officials of the firm,” he lamented.

    He decried a situation the power firms import meters, adding that this had caused the product’s shortage. He urged the firms to patronise indigenous manufacturers of meters to meet customers’ demand.

    MEMCOL Nigeria Limited Chairman, Mr. Kola Balogun, said local production of meters would help in meeting the needs of users of electricity.

    Balogun, whose firm produces prepaid meters, said the inability of many DisCos to patronise local meter manufacturers had led to the meters’ shortage.

    He said the decision by the Federal Government to put in place a home grown economy was a good, urging the it to implement policy.

     

    He said the idea would help in developing local manufacturers, stressing that meter manufacturers would benefit from it.

    Efforts to get the IBEDC’s Head of Consumer, Mrs Remi Raji-Dawodu, to speak on the issue were abortive. Calls and text message forwarded to her were not acknowledged.

    The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), in 2016, ordered power firms to meter their customers nationwide. Its Head of Consumer, Mr. Hardley Blue- Jack, said the Commission was not happy that many consumers do not have meters, urging DisCos to stop estimated billing by providing meters to their customers.

    The former Minister of Power, Prof Barth Nnaji, also stated that the eleven energy distribution firms in the country would need $7.7billion investment to fix their assets in order to produce optimally.

  • IBEDC set to dialogue with its customers on tariff review

    IBEDC set to dialogue with its customers on tariff review

    The management of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) on Saturday said it intends to engage its customers in interactive sessions on tariff review, in line with the directive from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

    Mrs Kikelomo Owoeye, IBEDC’s Osun Regional Branding and Communication Officer, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen on its planned tariff review in Osogbo.

    According to Owoeye, IBEDC’s plan to review its tariff was sequel to the advice given to it by the NERC, in view of the realities on ground and to enable the distribution companies to be able to remain in business.

    She said, “Tariff review is necessary to ensure that electricity tariff is set at levels that are reasonable and cost effective to our customers and ourself.

    “We have done a proper evaluation of the gains this review will bring to our company and our esteemed customers.

    “We are certain this review will enable us to improve electricity supply, provide better services, improve infrastructure in our substations, metering and so much more.’’

    Owoeye said findings from the numerous stakeholders’ meetings held across the region revealed that many of the electricity substations were not functioning optimally.

    She said the decay in the electricity infrastructure needed massive investment and that the supply lines across towns in the region need to be upgraded.

    Owoeye also said more transformers and meters were needed and stressed that the tariff review would help the IBEDC to be able to the serve the public and its customers better.

    She, however, added that the tariff review would only be effected after due consultations with customers of the company.

    Owoeye urged the company’s customers to visit the IBEDC website “www.ibedc.com” to comment on the planned tariff review or attend the stakeholders’ meetings that would be organised in Osogbo.

  • Electricity consumers in Lagos decry proposed tariff increase

    Some electricity consumers in Lagos State on Monday kicked against the proposed increase in tariff by Distribution Companies (DISCOs).

    Some of the consumers told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that there was no justification for an increment.

    NAN reports that DISCOs in Lagos are urging electricity consumers to brace up for upward adjustment in tariffs to partly meet the reality of the prevailing economic situation.

    Mr Abdul-Rasak Osho, the Chairman, Iponri Estate Housing Residents’ Association said that the estate had been without power supply for over one month due to broken electricity poles.

    Osho said that it took the Eko Electricity Distribution Plc (EKEDP) three weeks before they could replace the poles.

    “Presently, we should not talk of increment in tariff now that the power supply is not stable.

    “DISCOs should ensure that they put their houses in order in terms of equipment and regular electricity supply and then we will now consider the proposed increment.

    “But at this time when we are being made to pay for what we did not consume, the proposed tariff hike is uncalled for,” he said.

    Chief Ade-Owas Owabumuwa, President, Amuwo Odofin, Landlords Association, New Town, said that consumers in Amuwo-Odofin would resist any attempt to review electricity tariff.

    Owabumuwa said that presently, they were being cheated by DISCOs because the monthly bills received in the community were outrageous.

    “We told the Ikeja Electricity when they came to dialogue with us that tariff increment should not be their priority now.

    “They should make the supply regular and change all bad transformers within the area.

    “I am sure that if power is regular and there is no cause for consumers to complain about poor facilities, the new tariff will be welcome by all consumers,” he said.

    Mr Yusuf Raji, the Chairman of Alaba-Oro Landlords Association, said that there had been no improvement in power supply since the privatisation of the power sector.

    Raji urged the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to ensure that DISCOs do not increase the tariff because the present tariff given to consumers was on the high side.

  • Electricity consumers groan

    Electricity consumers groan

    •In spite of all the vaunted reforms, darkness and inefficiency assail the average Nigerian

    If there is any area where the Federal Government has consistently failed the nation, it is in the supply of electricity. To Nigerians, adults and children alike, darkness is the order of the day; it is what they all have grown up with. Indeed, electricity problem in Nigeria has gone beyond words and complaints.

    A major issue at stake now is the problem of consumers paying for electricity that is never supplied. We call this a cruel rip-off. A newspaper reported that electricity consumers in parts of Lagos and Ogun states, for example, have complained that the claim of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) that it had frozen tariffs for residential consumers for six months was “fraudulent and deceitful”.

    The consumers cried out amidst rising bills being distributed to them by the power distributing companies in spite of reduction in electricity supply that has constantly put many homes in darkness. Yet the revised multi-year tariff order 2.1 as approved by NERC came into force on January 1, 2015.

    A major highlight of this tariff order provided a six-month freeze on tariff increase for residential consumers (R2) who made up about 80 percent of the country’s electricity consumers. This means, as the Chairman of NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi, said, “the commission has not increased the tariff for residential consumers”. According to him, “while the scheduled increase will apply to other cases of consumers from January 1, 2015, it will not affect residential consumers until after June 2015”.

    However, Dr. Amadi’s statement has been debunked by consumers who saw it as deceitful. For example, the consumers in Lagos and Ogun states have claimed that they were served higher bills for January this year compared to what they got in December 2014. One consumer actually said that she was billed N 6,300 in January 2015 compared to N 4,200 she paid in December 2014. This has led to the ugly situation where aggrieved customers threatened to beat up one of the workers of the distribution company in charge of the area.

    It is unfortunate that NERC has no answers to the consumers’ complaints. It is also unfortunate that the NERC has not fulfilled its promise of frozen tariffs for residential consumers. Most unfortunate is the fact that there is no justification for the rise in tariff, especially when it is not based on an improvement in electricity supply. It is obvious that the new electricity companies have not gotten over their inherited challenges, especially with the problem of gas and other related issues.

    Moreover, the new companies appear to be following the greedy footpath of the old companies by dishing out indiscriminate and crazy bills as a way of making more money than they should get from consumers. This is where prepaid meters are necessary to curb the cheating of consumers who are deliberately billed for electricity they did not consume.

    But even more wicked is the unacceptable charge for consumers, irrespective of whether or not they use electricity for months! This is to say people should not be made to pay additional charge as “ground rent” other than the amount of electricity consumed, as it has been the ugly practice by the electricity companies. We are not happy that all this is going on in spite of the fact that the government keeps on giving the new companies money even after selling the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to them. We insist that NERC should ensure that Nigerians are not forced to pay for services not rendered to them; such an act is borne out of corrupt practices for which the nation has become notorious.